November 25, 2002 Niles Township, MI Three “pet” emus escaped from their home. One was recaptured but the other two were still on the loose. Other
November 21, 2002 Washington, DC Phoenix, a 23-year-old bobcat, was euthanized due to kidney problems. The pathology report after her death concluded that the kidneys were not at “end stage” but that she could not walk because her claws had grown into her paw pads. Small Cats
November 18, 2002 Pittsburgh, PA An 18-year-old female African elephant knocked her handler to the ground with her head and crushed him to death. The incident occurred at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium during a routine morning walk of the elephant and her 3-year-old baby on the zoo’s African Savannah trail before the zoo opened. Elephants
November 16, 2002 Wenatchee, WA A 1-year-old wolf-hybrid was recaptured after running loose and killing a neighbor’s chicken. He was scheduled to be put to death. Other
November 6, 2002 Yacolt, WA A man was bitten on the lip when he attempted to kiss his “pet” rattlesnake. Reptiles
October 30, 2002 Gretna, NE A “pet” bear escaped from his home and was loose for a brief period of time before he was recaptured. Bears
October 28, 2002 Milwaukee, WI Two “pet” coatimundis were on the loose in a Milwaukee neighborhood after they escaped from their home. Other
October 17, 2002 Las Vegas, NV Two tiger cubs were loose on a neighbor’s roof. They were subsequently recaptured. Big Cats
October 14, 2002 Southport, FL Samson, a 500-lb African lion at Knoll’s 77 Zoological Park, attacked a zookeeper who entered his cage for a photo. The lion grabbed the man, threw him into a corner, and chewed on him before releasing the man. The zookeeper had a hole ripped in his throat, his right eye pulled out of its socket, severed tendons in his neck and chest, torn skin, and bites down to the bone. He was listed in critical condition for 11 days. He lost 80% of his eyesight and needed an operation to restore his vision. He had trained large animals since the age of 12 when he began training bears in a circus in Europe. Big Cats